Dear Oscar, Has your life changed at all with a newborn in the house? -- Interested in Irasburg

Thanks for your interest, Interested! And let me be honest; my life pretty much goes on unaffected. I mean, sure, I have one more smell to sniff, one more person to love, and one more face to lick. But what's that to me? Sniffing, loving, and licking... that's what yellow dogs do!

And I'll tell you what else: I like this kid's style. When he's hungry, he lets you know it. When he wants to sleep, he sleeps. When he needs something, the humans around here jump. In other words, he's like a small version of me!

Last thing: Mark and Ali are on the case in terms of making sure everyone's needs get met. The kid gets changed, fed, and sleeps. And the dogs around here are still getting walked, getting good runs in, and skiing the Vermont backcountry. In fact, with the 18 inches of new snow that fell in the last two days, you better believe Mark, Gladys, and I were skinning up and shredding at one of our favorite powder stashes this morning. Then we came home and hung out with the family.

So I guess, on second thought, my life has changed: it's just getting better.

Your friend, Oscar